Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. “Lev”) lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds — the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.

Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?”

Age Range: 9 and up
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Aladdin

RATING ~ 4 INSPIRING STARS

This book……….Is certainly different from others that I’ve read.

The main character in this book is a fourteen-year-old boy named Leven Thumps. He lives with his terrible Aunt Addy and Uncle Terry, in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change. Big time. When he meets Clover, a cute, little sycophant, he finds out that there’s another world other than our one. One called Foo. Clover tells him that there’s a Gateway to get to Foo; that anyone can enter it and be in Foo……And the other way around. People can also leave Foo if they find the Gateway. That’s when Leven is told he needs to destroy it, before an evil being named Sabine finds it. To assist him during his search is a girl named Winter Frore and Geth.

Dun, dun, dun!!

I enjoyed reading this book..A lot. It’s not one of my ‘I’m absolutely obsessed’ books, but it’s still pretty darn good. I loved the plot and the characters.

My favorite character out of them all was Clover. He was just plan awesome! His attitude rocked, along with how he gets along with Leven, Winter, and Geth. 😀 I mean, check this out..

“You have food?” Winter scolded. “I thought you said you were hungry.”
I’m hungry for other things besides what I have,” Clover argued.

[Clover] secretly hitched a ride with a nice German couple and their new baby…Clover appeared to the baby, so as to be a delightful, soothing surprise. Well, the child did like Clover. In fact, she held him and cooed. When the parents turned around to look at her and saw their child holding a furry, living creature, they needlessly panicked.

See! SEE! That’s what I mean. His awesomeness is almost tied with mine…….Almost. 😉

Speaking of ‘Almost’, this book was almost on my ‘Awesomest-Books-Ever-Read’ list. It didn’t get one because of these reasons:

1. The author didn’t elaborate very well. As I read the book, I was figuring some parts out by myself. He didn’t go into depth about what Foo is, about why Leven needs to be the one to destroy the Gateway, and about..Well, everything he didn’t describe well.

2. Leven didn’t have much self confidence. I know why, and I feel for him, but he needed more.

There. That is why this book is not on my ‘Awesomest-Books-Ever-Read’ list. Other than those 2 reasons, this was a very good book. I saw some reviews, where the reader compared it to Harry Potter, and I have to say that I see what they mean. This book did remind of Harry Potter in a way. Leven and Harry are actually similar, where they’re up against evil and people expect a lot of them.

I give this book 4 stars. Good read, great for passing time, very awesome characters. 🙂

I recommend to ages 8-17. It would be a good bedtime story for 8-year-old boy or a good book to read at night. If you’re an adult who likes fantasy adventures, you can pick this up and try it. If you’ve checked out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, you might wanna pick this up. 🙂

The third book in the CAHILLS VS. VESPERS series, the follow up to the worldwide bestseller THE 39 CLUES.

The Vespers have crossed a line. Amy and Dan were devastated when the Vespers kidnapped seven Cahills around the world, holding them hostage until Amy and Dan delivered an impossible ransom. But at least the hostages were Cahills – members of the world’s most powerful family, trained to face all odds.

Now the Vespers have gone too far. They’ve kidnapped Atticus, an innocent 11 year old boy and Dan’s only friend. Now Dan and Amy are in the struggle of their lives. Because if they can’t outwit the Vespers, the unthinkable will happen . . . Atticus will die.”

Dun, dun, dun!((Yeah, you were supposed to say that out loud while playing a bass drum. :P))

The siblings Amy and Dan Cahill return in the 3rd book of the series Cahills Vs. Vespers. Also returning are the brothers Jake and Atticus Rosenbloom, along with the Cahill captives. The main plot in the book? Find Atticus, free him, and figure out what it is that Vesper 1 wants now. Complicated? Just a smidge.

What I love in this book is the plot and character development. The plot is just amazing, and just….Wow. Amy’s character also turns into the Cahill leader that they need in order to save the captives. Something else I enjoyed was that the Dan from The 39 Clues original series showed up a little, which made me smile.

I was seriously wondering if the texts Dan was getting were really from, well, him. Then at the end, we find out and I’m just like: “Whoa, seriously?! Whoa, just…No way!” Yep, just like that.

This book is just the right length for a 8-year-old. Of course, he or she would need to read the original series in order to understand it and not worry about spoilers. Though, they need to be able to handle reading about explosions, captives, and blood. Otherwise, they’ll need to wait until they’re a bit older. If your kid doesn’t like reading, read the first series to him/her, then read this one. By the time you get to the first book in the Cahills Vs. Vespers series, I would think that he or she will be reading them willingly.

Recommended to people who read the original 39 Clues series and ages 8-11. If your kid can handle explosions and manage reading about some blood, then this is something you should check out. Also, if you have taken a peek at Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1), you should defiantly check this out.

DESCRIPTION: “When Daniel X discovers that a duo of evil extraterrestrials is plotting to control kids around the world through videogames, he’s determined to take them both out of commission. This pair of wicked game masters wants to destroy the human race by turning brainwashed videogamers into an unstoppable army of doom! They’re also running an endangered species hunting club on the side, and their next target is none other than Daniel. He’ll have no choice but to turn to the aliens’ rebellious son who needs help to stand up to his malicious parents. But can Daniel trust the progeny of this treacherous twosome? Or will it be “Game Over” for the alien hunter?”

Daniel X, the Alien Hunter, returns in the fourth book of the Daniel X book series. Being a teenage Alien Hunter isn’t easy. Especially when you’re hunting down aliens that hold the ranks 8 and 7 on The List of Outlaws on Terra Firma. What’s Terra Firma? Earth. In this book, Daniel’s adventure takes place in Tokyo, Japan.
This book is action packed, full of thrills, and awesome/funny comments. Want to read some of those awesome comments? Look at the ones below!

“Ahhh!” I yelled, falling to the floor in mock agony. (Well, not exactly “mock.” Those boxes were heavy.)

“I’m so sorry to trouble you, sir,” I said, extracting myself from the pile. “I’ll be on my way, but let me help you with these boxes first.”
The clerk looked momentarily confused, clearly not the cleverest creature to step off a UFO. A good tip to remember: politeness and civility throw a goon every time.

Seriously, I love the Daniel X series and I was not disappointed. Daniel’s a teenager, like me, so I can understand some of his ‘teen issues’. You know, the ones that aren’t caused by aliens trying to kill you while you’re trying to kill them.

This book was a bit shorter than others I’ve read so far this year, but it was totally worth it. As I said before, I ♥ Daniel X. The fact that he was hunting down two alien outlaws at once got me excited, because he hadn’t done that before in the previous three books.

As soon as I finished this book, I got the one that comes after it. There was only one part in the book where I didn’t know exactly how to react. I didn’t know if I should be upset, excited, or what. Want to know what that moment was? When he referred to Maximum Ride. O.0 With how the last book of that series ended, I felt a bit annoyed. But since I loved the first books in the series, I felt a bit excited too. What does that equal? Confused teenager emotions.

Anyways…….I LOVED THE ENDING! It was a bit sad…But it was awesome! 😀 If I add up everything about the book……5 stars. Duh!

I recommend to James Patterson fans. If you’ve read at least the first Daniel X book, you can read this one too! But only after you’ve read the previous two books! If you’ve read the first Maximum Ride(Maximum Ride #1) book, you should enjoy this. ^-^

The highly anticipated second book in Marie Lu’s New York Times bestseller, LEGEND—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.
It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?”

I bought this book the day it came out, then couldn’t put it down. It was awesome!

Day and June return in the second book of the Legend series. The book starts out on a train heading to LA, a city in the Republic. The plot in this book is pretty cool, and has a twist you’ll never see coming. >:) The main conflict this book revolves around the Elector..The new Elector.

Once again, I love Day! His life stinks though and I feel bad for him. Day is amazing in this book, especially with how he handles his life. Throughout all of Prodigy, Day’s action are influenced by his search Eden(I think I got the name right), his little brother.

June….Gah! In one part of the book, Day was being sweet to her, then she started listing what paper clips are made of! -_- Really? In the first book, June rubbed me the wrong way; I found her annoying. In this book, I basically feel the same way. She can memorize things quickly, which is neat, but she has a hard time expressing her feelings. She’s the reason that Day’s life got even more messed up. Honestly, by the end of the book, whenever I read the word ‘June’ I either thought, Oh no.., or just moved on. My point? I’m not a fan of June.

The romance in this book is a bit much, but it didn’t bother me a lot. I prefer the action, adventure, and suspense parts more than the romance parts.

The book also had humor, where I found myself grinning sometimes. One part that made me laugh out loud was this..

Yeah, something was wrong. That was the understatement of the year.

XD. That part is told from Day’s point of view, btw.

If I add up everything in the book that I liked, it’s 5 stars. Good book. Good read. I want the 3rd book…..NOW.

I recommend to people who enjoy dystopian books. If you like something that’s post-apocalyptic and has a bit of romance, pick this book up. If you’ve read the first book in this series and liked it, then of course you need to get this one. Also, ges 13-Adult should give this amazing book a peek. 😉 Along people who enjoyed reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Steven “Steel” Trapp has been placed in an East Coast boarding school for gifted kids by his FBI agent father. He soon discovers that there’s a clubby element of the faculty and upper classmen that is very secretive and protective. To his surprise, his friend Kaileigh arrives at the school, and it isn’t long before the two realize that this is not your normal boarding school. It seems a select few students are recruited, while still minors, to serve as special “translators” for the US Government. People—including diplomats and dignitaries—will say things around kids that they wouldn’t otherwise dare speak outside of embassies. The willing student “agent” takes a semester abroad and ends up spying for his country.

But there are dark forces at play at the school. Foreign agents may have penetrated the school’s secrecy and have sleepers in place: kids spying on future kid spies. There is conspiracy and competition among the elite faculty that threaten security. As Steel and Kaileigh are recruited for their first test run—trying to break a ring of pickpockets in a Boston hotel—things go impossibly wrong. Betrayal and conspiracy cloud what should have been a straightforward assignment. And all too soon, their very lives are in danger.”

RATING ~ 5 STARS OF KICK-BUTT!

I. Love. Freakin’. Steel. Trapp. 😀

Steel and Kaileigh return in this mysterious and awesome adventure! Steel’s father has placed him in a school that is very secluded, and almost from the start of the semester, Steel knows that something about it is different than others.

I enjoyed reading this book. Since Steel and Kaileigh are at a new school, new characters were introduced. And new bad guys. >:D Wicked. Awesome. The book was fun to read, enjoyable(Obviously), and is a favorite(Of course).

Buuuut……..I have the sneaking suspicion that Ridley Pearson will write a 3rd book. He’s currently writing Kingdom Keepers, a famous series that will have 7 books. I’m think that he writes the Steel Trapp series when he’s bored or isn’t currently writing anything.

I got that idea because of the ending. The end of the book feels a bit incomplete. Steel and Kaileigh have some moments, but they don’t become a couple. Plus, Steel is Steel! He’s bound to have more adventures.

My point is that I loved this book and I hope there’s going to be another one. 5 stars! Whoo hoo! Go Steven ‘Steel’ Trapp!

I recommend to Ridley Pearson fans! Ages 11-19 should give this a shot! 😀 If you enjoy mysteries, adventure, and or thiller/suspense book, PICK THIS UP AND BUY IT.

DESCRIPTION: “In this riveting thriller, 14-year-old Steven “Steel” Trapp sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a 2-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in Washington, DC. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory–just one look and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps. Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he instead becomes embroiled in an ingenious, international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. Federal agents (first seen in Pearson’s adult thriller, Cut and Run) track Steel and his new-found science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel’s science contest invention–and with the help of Cairo–Steel and Kaileigh lead readers on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it’s too late.”

It felt so good reading another Ridley Pearson book. It was a different genre, with different characters, a new plot, and a whole lot of awesomeness.

The main character, Steven ‘Steel’ Trapp, is a 14-year-old boy who has photographic memory. He’s on his way to Washington, DC, to compete in a science competition called The Challenge. But on the way, he gets in a bit of trouble. When he tries to do a good deed, he quickly gets involved in something more important than The Challenge.

I picked up this book, because I had nothing to read. I’m a big fan of Ridley Pearson’s ‘Kingdom Keepers’ series, and decided to pick up another of one of his book while I waited for ‘Dark Passage’ to come out. Now this is what I think when I see this book: STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is a different genre than Kingdom Keepers, just about altogether. It’s a mystery, action-adventure, thriller, and suspense book. I officially love it.

This book had humor, an action scene close to the end, and had me guessing the whole time. Steel is officially a new favorite fiction character of mine, along with his friend, Kaileigh. Some examples of parts that I thought deserved a giggle are shown below..

“You’re brilliant,” Kaileigh said.
“I try,” Steel said immodestly.

“But when your mom finds out…”
“Yeah, but I’m already in so much trouble it doesn’t count.”
“I think it will count,” Kaileigh said with a smile.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Lol. 😀 I now think that any YA or Middle Grade books Ridley Pearson writes most likely deserve four or five stars. This book gets an overall 5 star rating. 😀 Whoo hoo! Go Pearson!!

I recommend this book to Ridley Pearson fans! If you enjoy mystery, action-adventure, suspense, or thriller genres, then you should defiantly grab this book. Ages 9-19 should give this book a try.

Hope you guys are interested in winning some super awesome young adult books, because I have 5 to giveaway!

I bet you want to know what they are, so I’ll tell you. We’ll be giving away the first two books in the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatric: Hush, Hush (hardcover) and Crescendo (hardcover)! The next two are the first ones in the Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon: Infinity (paperback) and Invincible (hardcover)! Last but not least, the first book in The Fury Trilogy by Elizabeth Miles: Fury(hardcover)!

All of those books have something that’s paranormal, whether or not it’s zombies or demons, they have it! 😀

Altogether, these books have a retail sticker of $82.95. One winner is going to get all of them away for free! How awesome it that!!!!!!!!

Terms: The giveaway ends December 31st, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and receive all five books pictured above. No cash value. US residents only. If under 18 yrs old, get your parents permission. The winner will be announced on this blog on January 1, 2013. You must claim your prize within 48 hours or it will go to another person.

Thanks for stopping by! This is the Pirate Princess (aka Izzy), signing out!

A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed—Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.

Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she’s falling in love.

Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord Han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?

A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.”

Han Alister and Raisa ana‘Marianna have returned in the conclusion to the Seven Realms series. The main conflicts in the Crimson Crown are, 1. Everyone is trying to steal the throne from Raisa and take it for themselves. 2. Everyone is also trying to keep Han and Raisa apart. The book takes place in the Fells, where Ragmarket, Southbridge, and Gray Lady are.

I enjoyed this book BIG TIME. It had bits of sarcasm and more humor than the other books did. Crow was awesome. I loved his remarks and statements. They were just either awesome or hilarious. The characters felt stronger, like Han’s and Crow’s and Willo’s. Raisa’s didn’t strengthen much, but it did grow stronger.

The Bayars….Well, I hate them. Duh. But I didn’t want that to happen to Fiona at the end. 🙁 I actually enjoyed seeing her and Han well at each other. Hehehe! Lord Bayar..Eh, his character did strengthen, but it just made me hate his guts more. Heck, why would I like him more? But, I liked his son Micah more. He wasn’t a complete jerk. Not completely, but he still was one.

I enjoyed the ending. There was a freaking awesome action scene that I looooooved! But I feel like the book and series could’ve kept going. There’s still a conflict at the end, I don’t know what happens to Micah, and I want to know more about Han and Raisa!

I recommend to people who have read the previous Seven Realms book. Also, people who enjoy Cinda Williams Chima’s book, magic lovers, and action lovers should pick up this book. 🙂 After reading the previous three of course.

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn’t hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?”

The main character in this paranormal fiction is Nick Gautier, a 14-year-old boy. Nick thinks his life stinks, which it does in someway. Nick soon meets a man named Kyrian, who happens to save his life. The main conflict appears soon enough in this book: Nick’s classmates are turning into zombies and he and his companions have to stop it.

The book takes place New Orleans, Louisiana. What I loved about this book was all the sarcasm in it. There was tons of it all throughout the book! The book was full of funny moments, action scenes, quick and smart-mouth retorts. Here’s an example of a funny/awesome moment:

“You need to up your vocabulary, boy. You can’t walk around letting people think you’re stupid. Expand your horizons. Besides, it’s fun to call people names they have to look up to realize they’ve been insulted.”
“Yeah, that’s a twofer there. You get away with it and then they’re twice as mad when they realize how bad you really insulted them. Especially if they mistake it for a compliment when you say it and thank you for it.”

This book does have some adult language in it, which made me a bit uncomfortable. I think the author intended to soften the curses with humor, but some of that failed. She used words that I don’t like, making squirm a bit when I read it. In some of the situations, it was funny to read. In other situations, I was mostly thinking: “Did someone really raise their kid allowing him to say that?”

The end of this book was a cliffhanger, but luckily I had the second book on hand. ^-^ Special me. Anyways, it was a rockin’ awesome book. 5 stars!

I recommend to teens, adults, and paranormal lovers. Of course, people that love sarcasm will also enjoy this book. Ages 13-Adult should be able to enjoy this. If you’ve checked out Bane (Vampire Apocalypse #1), you’ll most likely enjoy this. 🙂

DESCRIPTION: “In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six–who will complete the Prophecy of Seven? The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.”

In The Mark of Athena, Percy, Hazel and Frank meet up with four others from Camp Half-Blood: Jason, Piper, Leo, and Annabeth. This book’s main conflict is pretty simple: Go to Rome and stay alive. Their goal is to make it to Rome, save Hazel’s brother, and find the Doors of Death.

This book takes place all over the world, but the main setting is on Leo’s warship: The ArgoII. They visit Kansas, Atlanta, and some more places. 😉

I loved, LOVED, that Annabeth’s was one of the narrators. It was fun to see from her point of view for the first time. Annabeth is such a kick-butt girl, it’s fun to see her point of view on things. Percy, of course, narrated some chapters too. The two of them together again was hilarious! 😀

The book was funny, had lots of action, problem solving, and Diet Pepsi(Don’t ask). I was laughing my head off at some things Coach Hedge did: One of which he’s on the boat yelling, ‘Bring it on lake! YEAH!‘ I thought that was hilarious.

The ending. -_- Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh. The ENDING. Rick did his first real cliffhanger. I admit though, I enjoy when something happens to the main characters because otherwise it seems like you’re favoring them too much. I’m glad Rick writes such amazing books for me to read. Five stars!